Radiant Energy

Robert Swain
Untitled, 8 x 12—Green, 2017
Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 12 ft. Courtesy of the artist and Minus Space, Brooklyn, NY.

Our first floor galleries are filled with works that challenge viewers to see color differently. The three painters showcased in Radiant Energy—Gabriele Evertz, Robert Swain, and Sanford Wurmfeld—investigate color sensations in abstract painting. While they utilize different geometric elements (squares, rectangles, stripes or bands, grids, and lines) they all explore how the interaction of color creates physical and emotional responses in the viewer. The large paintings in the exhibition provide viewers with multiple opportunities to experience color in uniquely personal ways. By changing the distances from which the paintings are viewed, and looking for longer and shorter durations, viewers may observe color as a shifting, nearly animated force. A series of smaller works on paper by each artist are also on view in the Robinson Strolling Gallery, providing a more intimate look at their individual practices. All three artists are longtime members of the renowned “Hunter Color School,” a group of painters who taught (or continue to teach) at New York’s Hunter College. Collectively, their careers span over 125 years and counting, as they continue to make work that dazzles the eye.